This March, we asked you, our loyal readers, to support the important journalism we do in our community. We are grateful for every donation and all the supportive notes we received. Thanks to your support, the Leader shed light on important stories that changed the course of our communities.
Our Mission
Our mission is the same today as it was when the Leader opened its doors in 1994: to provide our readers with a free, direct-mail quality newspaper. Up to now, local businesses have made the Leader possible by purchasing advertising. Though this model has worked well in the past, we all know that retail businesses have come under pressure from online competitors. Fewer brick-and-mortar stores means fewer retail advertisers to support the local newspaper. So we’re asking individual readers to step up. Regardless, just as it did this week, your Leader will continue to arrive in your mailbox, free of charge.
The Missouri State Auditor’s Office is auditing the city of Arnold and two transportation development districts following complaints about the proposed Arnold Parkway road project that has since been scrapped.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) announced it will close the southbound I-55 loop ramp exit to northbound Hwy. 67 at Festus and open the newly modified exit from I-55 to Hwy. 67 at 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24.
The Big River at Cedar Hill is expected to crest at 27 feet Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., which would be the eighth-highest crest ever recorded in the area, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Floodwaters are diverting voters from the Brookdale Farms polling location, 8004 Twin River Road, off Hwy. W southeast of Eureka, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning, Nov. 5.
In the years since the Leader conducted its first Support Local Journalism campaign, a lot has changed. But one thing remains constant – the Leader is here to tell the stories of our community.
Our mission is the same today as it was when the Leader opened its doors nearly 30 years ago.
We are determined to provide our readers with a direct-mail newspaper held to a standard of journalistic excellence.
If you value the Leader and its mission, we invite you to participate in our Support Local Journalism campaign.
Learn more about the challenges we are facing from former publisher/editor Patrick Martin, who weighs in with his column, and go to myleaderpaper.com/donate for information about how to become a Leader supporter and help cover costs to produce, print and mail our newspapers across four editions.
Readers are not required to participate. The newspaper will continue to be mailed free to households and businesses in the communities we serve.
Since the Leader’s beginning, local businesses have been the key to our business. We are grateful for their support and their belief that the Leader is a good way to share their messages.
We’re proud to say that advertising remains our primary source of funding.
However, costs continue to go up and local newspapers face unfair competition from social media/advertising organizations like Google and Meta/Facebook. These companies use the journalism the Leader pays for while trying to convince national advertisers that local media doesn’t work.
This is untrue. Our communities need and use the vital information the Leader provides – information that cannot be found elsewhere. We are asking our readers to step up with financial support to help us keep doing our job.
The Leader monitors how your local tax dollars are spent. We cover your sports teams; publish your milestone moments; report good news from the community; track the area’s crimes and courts; keep you informed about political candidates and issues; provide commentary and offer an outlet for you to express your own wide-ranging opinions; sponsor or co-sponsor community events; and raise money for local charities and organizations.
Advertisers continue to spend their dollars with us, and we believe it is only fair for readers to do their part, too.
Readers, we appreciate you. If you are able to Support Local Journalism financially, we would also appreciate knowing you’re with us in this fight.
Our mission is the same today as it was when the Leader opened its doors in 1994. We are determined to provide our readers with a free, direct… Read moreFund the Leader, Fund quality news
The Jefferson County Council recently approved a resolution honoring the life and work of the late Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist who was shot and killed on Sept. 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University.
The upcoming Fox High School Parents’ Club Fall Craft Fair will be nearly twice as big as last year, said Tracy Paul, a Parents’ Club member and craft fair organizer.
